Mang Pepeng

“There are people who curse worse than me and want to hide it all, but I ain’t no hypocrite.”

—BUSWICK BILL

By Alex P. Vidal

MANG Pepeng, 84, and his wife, Estelita, 85, finally received their stimulus checks worth $1,400 each on March 27.

Contrary to what he passionately declared two weeks ago, Mang Pepeng didn’t reject the largesse from Uncle Sam, which was part of the $1.9 trillion pandemic stimulus package otherwise known as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

“Better late than never,” the old man, who survived the pandemic by taking a Tylenol tablet in June 2020, beamed. 

Mang Pepeng and Estelita were “expecting” to receive the checks before March 24 but they arrived late.

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Social Security recipients and railroad retirees who weren’t required to file federal tax returns for 2018 or 2019 will receive $1,200 stimulus payments automatically based on information contained in their “1099” benefit statements

Under the law, a single filer making up to $75,000 will receive the full payment, while those earning up to $80,000 will get a reduced amount. 

Joint filers making up to $150,000 will get the full $2,800, while those earning up to $160,000 will receive a smaller amount. 

Previously, the phase-out thresholds were $100,000 for single filers and $200,000 for joint filers in the House version.

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Eligibility was based on our most recent tax return and adjusted gross income. 

For the third round of checks, the IRS used our 2019 or 2020 tax return to determine if we qualified for the direct payment.

Social Security beneficiaries, Disability Insurance beneficiaries, Supplemental Security Income recipients, Railroad Retirement Board beneficiaries, and Veterans Administration beneficiaries all were eligible for the payment even if we didn’t file a 2019 or 2020 tax return

“Ayaw kong tanggapin yan kahit na dumating (I won’t get the check if it would arrive),” Mang Pepeng, a native of Nueva Ecija, told his fellow Filipino-Americans in Queen’s Elmhurst community second week of March. 

“Naawa ako sa mga bata sa masunod na henerasyon. Sila kasi ang magbabayad sa utang na yan (I pity the children in the next generation who will pay that debt).”

He believed that if Mr. Trump were the President, congress would reject the $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package.

Mang Pepeng was criticized by pro-Biden Pinoys in the community for being “hypocrite.”

“Sabi ko na nga ba. Kunwari iingay siya na ayaw pero pagdating ng stimulus check masaya naman siya (I knew he would take the stimulus check even if he was grumbling against it),” said Demit, 61, a Democrat and supporter of former President Barack Obama.

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Mang Pepeng, a loyalist of former President Donald Trump, scored the Biden administration’s “excessiveness” and the “wasteful” law, which was President Joseph Biden’s first big legislative initiative making good his  campaign promises of more economic relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mang Pepeng, who fled the Philippines after Marcos declared Martial Law on September 12, 1972, echoed Sen. Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican, who called the bill “wasteful, poorly targeted, and largely unrelated to COVID.”

Taxpayers who don’t receive a direct deposit by March 24 may get their payment as a paper check or a prepaid debit card in the mail.

The first batch of payments was worth approximately $242 billion, or more than half of the $450 billion earmarked for stimulus payments. 

It went to taxpayers who have direct deposit information on file at the IRS, either from their 2019 or 2020 tax returns or from those who used the IRS Non-Filers tool in 2020.

The majority of payments were expected go out by direct deposit, but around 150,000 paper checks—worth approximately $442 million— have been mailed as part of the first batch.

This round is $1,400 per eligible individual plus a $1,400 bonus per dependent. 

Around 158.5 million households are expected to receive a payment under the new stimulus deal, according to the White House.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

President Manny Pacquiao

“The presidency has many problems, but boredom is the least of them.”

—Richard M. Nixon

By Alex P. Vidal

IT appears only Sara Duterte-Carpio is standing in the way of Emmanuel Pacquiao’s ascension to the Malacanang Palace in 2022.

Vice versa.

With due respect to the pro-democracy 1Sambayan coalition led by former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, Duterte-Carpio and Pacquiao, both 42, are the rumored leading contenders for the presidency of the Philippines, although they have not yet officially declared their intentions to run.

When the fat lady sings third quarter of 2021–and when most Filipinos have been vaccinated hopefully—it will be the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte and the eight-time world boxing champion, who once graced the cover story of Time magazine as a sports icon-cum-philanthropist, and the 1Sambayan coalition bet who will slug it out for next year’s presidential derby.

A three-cornered fight isn’t far-fetched despite the efforts of 1Sambayan to unite all the contenders versus President Duterte’s choice.

At this early, Pacquiao has been in the receiving end of all the howitzers and scud missiles being unloaded by the Duterte camp.

Interestingly, some of the heavy blows against Pacquiao came from the social media flamethrowers who have been praising President Duterte like a demigod these past years, bolstering suspicions they may have the imprimatur of the Duterte camp.

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Like a true pugilist, Pacquiao absorbed the attacks by the Duterte camp flamethrowers without engaging them in a toe-to-toe slugfest.

Not yet.

It’s too early to empty his revolver as the bout is still in the warm—up stage or in the “acquaintance party” level.

Like in the sports field where Pacquiao had soared to stardom, politics isn’t decided merely in three or five rounds; sometimes it also moves to 12 rounds or the full route.

The main objective, meanwhile, is probably to soften Pacquiao’s breadbasket with light punishments and see if he will quit.

If he is undaunted and remains to be a strong contender for the highest position of the land, the flamethrowers might go for a kill ala Juan Manuel Marquez in the latter’s fourth duel with Pacquiao, where the Mexican dynamo scored a smashing one-punch KO victory.

But before it will happen, Pacquiao should be wise enough to parry the flamethrowers’ brutal assaults and unleash his own artillery during the no-holds-barred fisticuffs in the campaign period.

He can’t afford to remain a gentleman in the arena of mudslinging.

If boxing is brutality personified, politics is the higher level of brutality: it will smash his dignity into pieces especially if he isn’t made of sterner stuff.

When it comes to credibility but not necessarily competence, Pacquiao arguably holds the edge over Duterte-Carpio.

Forget the rumor that Bong Go, Pacquiao’s colleague in the Senate, will also run for president, as disclosed by President Duterte himself.

If we are not familiar with Mr. Duterte’s politics and style, we will believe it. Go is a joke, of course.

Only a hypocrite president father will not admit that he also wants her daughter to be the next president.

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FILTER IT AWAY. The human body requires at least one gallon of water a day.

If we are considering stocking up on emergency supplies, let’s bear in mind that plastic bottles are thought to leach chemicals into the water if left for a length of time.

Let’s save space and the environment by stocking up on water filters instead.

WELCOME THE WIND. Many products can cause air pollution to build up in our home, including modern cleaners, which contain strong chemicals.

Let’s make sure to ventilate our home well, ensuring a through-flow of air to help reduce pollution levels and encourage good ventilation.

ATOMS CANNOT BE SEEN. To show that the world was made of particles a million times smaller than objects visible to the naked eye was so difficult that their existence was not established beyond reasonable doubt until the end of the nineteenth century.

EMPTY CUP. Each day is full of reasons to praise God, even when life seems empty of comfort or joy.

It’s when our cups are empty that God fills them up. My cup was empty yesterday but this morning, it was filled up.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

Don’t be afraid

“I am not afraid… I was born to do this.”

—Joan of Arc

By Alex P. Vidal

WE exhort our kababayans living in New York and other states not to be afraid in taking the COVID-19 vaccines even if they have no sufficient legal immigration status.

COVID-19 vaccines are available to people of all immigration statuses, we have been assured by the New York City Health.

Immigration status does not matter and no one will  be asked about it at the vaccination site.

Getting vaccinated will not result in a negative public charge decision or otherwise negatively impact any family’s immigration application.

While no one knows how long the vaccines will protect people from COVID-19, we do not know yet whether the vaccines will be needed annually, similar to a flu shot, or if an additional shot or booster shot is needed, such as with a tetanus shot.

It is also possible that no additional vaccine will be needed after the first two doses.

The clinical trials showed the authorized vaccines are reportedly all effective at preventing symptoms of COVID-19 and severe illness due to COVID-19.

There are ongoing studies of the impact on transmission that should provide more information later this year.

Continued research and time will tell us how long the vaccines’ protection last and whether people may need additional doses. Participants in the clinical trials will reportedly continue to be monitored, and we will learn more over time from the millions of people being vaccinated around the world.

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Meanwhile, three COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for use in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer), Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).

These vaccines have been shown to be very safe and effective in protecting people from severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death.

As of March 1, tens of millions of doses of vaccine have been administered in the U.S.

These vaccines are reportedly “the best protection we have against COVID-19.”

No matter how old we are, COVID-19 can lead to complications and death. Even if we had COVID-19, it is important to get vaccinated because it reportedly lowers our risk of getting COVID-19 again and may prevent us from passing it on to others.

Also, getting vaccinated may protect those around us, particularly people who cannot get the vaccine, such as children.

Vaccination, along with other prevention measures, can help us end the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Below is the other information about the vaccines, including how they work, when and where to get vaccinated, and what to expect when you get vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines are intramuscular vaccines. They are given through a shot in the arm, similar to most other vaccines.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses several weeks apart.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one dose.

All three vaccines are very safe and effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death. The most important thing is to get vaccinated, with whatever vaccine is available to us.

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Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is just one dose. All three vaccines reportedly cause similar mild to moderate side effects.

It is hard to directly compare the vaccines effectiveness since they were tested at different times and in different locations.

Johnson & Johnson trials were conducted more recently, when there was higher levels of COVID-19 transmission, and in countries that have high levels of the new variants of concern.

Even under these circumstances, the vaccine reportedly prevented hospitalizations and deaths.

A key difference among the vaccines is that only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people ages 16 and 17.

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for people ages 18 and older.

Another difference is how the vaccines can be stored and distributed. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is more stable and can be kept in a refrigerator, making it easier to transport and reach people who cannot travel to a vaccination site.

For now, most vaccination sites have only one type of vaccine. The type of vaccine you get will depend on where you go. We have the NYC Vaccine Finder showing the type of vaccine given at each site.

It is normal for a virus to mutate (change) over time and for new variants to occur.

Several variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been identified. Some of these variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than others and may cause more severe disease.

This may lead to more COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. The presence of these variants makes it even more important to get vaccinated.

The vaccines are expected to protect against variants detected to date, though their protection may not be as strong against some variants. Scientists are reportedly working to learn more about these variants and how they affect vaccines.

Herd immunity is when enough people in a population have immunity (protection) against a contagious disease that the disease is unlikely to spread.

As a result, even people who are not vaccinated are at lower risk for infection.

The percent of the population that needs to have immunity to reach herd immunity is different for different diseases.

For COVID-19, experts do not yet know what percentage of people would need to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity.

However, even before we reach herd immunity, having a large number of people vaccinated will lower the number of people who get sick and are hospitalized or die from COVID-19.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

Never-ending harassment

“If bigots behave like bigots, it’s not a huge surprise.”

—Salman Rushdie

By Alex P. Vidal

AFTER hurriedly disembarking from the Queens-bound F subway train in the Delancey Street-Essex Street Station past 2 o’clock in the afternoon March 18, I approached the two New York Police Department (NYPD) cops as they entered the main door of the subway turnstile, used in subway systems and other mass-transit systems to check patrons’ tickets.

I told them “I needed help” and narrated I experienced another harassment (my second in six days) from an emotionally distraught man minutes earlier inside the train while on my way to Queens from Brooklyn.

“Are you hurt? Do you need a medical attention?” asked one of them.

“No, I’m OK,” I quickly retorted. “I’m just worried that the man might attack me again if I sees me before I reach my destination.”

I told them the incident happened when the train had just passed by the York Station and there were two other passengers aside from me and the assailant.

I said I wasn’t supposed to be in that station but I needed to avoid the  unidentified toughie; my final destination would be at the 74^th Station on Roosevelt Avenue, Queens. 

“You mean it happened in Brooklyn?” asked the same cop. “I would advise you to stay here (he pointed to the small office outside the turnstile) and wait for the next train. There’s nothing we can do now as we can’t chase him if he’s on the train that left and where you just came from.”

I knew that York Station was part of Brooklyn, but I had no idea that Delancey Street-Essex Street Station was already part of Manhattan.

I waited for about eight to 10 minutes for the next F train and followed the cop’s advice.

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After taking the incoming F train, which had more than 20 passengers, I managed to reach the 74^th Station unscathed. 

As of this writing, I was planning to write anew NYPD Commissioner Dermot Francis Shea regarding the incident.

On March 12 evening, or several hours after I experienced a scary verbal harassment from an angry man who mistook me for “a Chinese” on board the F train bound for Coney Island in Brooklyn, I e-mailed Commissioner Shea to report what happened.  

After several minutes, I received this reply: “Your City of New York Correspondence Number is  #1-1-9742727. Thank you for contacting the City of New York. Your message has been forwarded to the appropriate agency for review and handling.”

It seems it’s no longer safe to take the subway train as long as there is a pandemic. 

Some ignorant and hateful individuals think the Chinese brought the coronavirus in the United States.

Every now and then, stories of harassment and acts of violence have been reported these past weeks. Most of the victims were Asian Americans, and the hatred toward the “China Virus” has gone from bad to worse that some people seemed no longer interested to openly tackle the subject matter.

The subway system is the main public transportation system in New York. It is one of the oldest and largest public transportation systems in the world (in terms of number of stations). 

With some 5.5 million riders on a given weekday, it is one of the primary modes of transportation for the majority of New Yorkers and tourists. 

The system is operated by a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

When will the harassment and bigotry stop? No one knows.

Let’s continue to protect ourselves at all times, as I used to counsel the two prizefighters inside the ring before the bout.

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In the lengthy introductory essay of For the New Intellectual, Ayn Rand argues that America and Western civilization are bankrupt, and that the cause of the bankruptcy is the failure of philosophy: specifically, the failure of philosophers and intellectuals to define and advocate a philosophy of reason.

In the subsequent selections, culled from her novels, Rand presents the outline of her philosophy of reason, which she calls Objectivism. 

These excerpts cover major topics in philosophy–from Objectivism’s basic axioms to its new theory of free will to its radical ethics of rational egoism to its moral-philosophic case for laissez-faire capitalism.

For the New Intellectual contains some of Rand’s most important passages on other philosophers, including Aristotle, Plato, Hume, Kant, Hegel and Nietzsche. 

Many of its selections also develop Rand’s unprecedented critique of altruism—the notion that our basic moral obligation is to live for others.

Why do Rand’s novels contain often-lengthy philosophic speeches?

Because the speeches are crucial to the story: to advancing its plot and capturing the characters’ motivations. 

Rand’s goal as a fiction writer was to present her conception of the ideal man. 

But her view of good and evil differed so radically from others that she had to originate her own philosophy.

“I had to do it, because my basic view of man and of existence was in conflict with most of the existing philosophical theories. In order to define, explain and present my concept of man, I had to become a philosopher . . . .”

The speeches are “necessarily condensed summaries, because the full statement of the subjects involved is presented, in each novel, by means of the story. The events are the concretes and the particulars, of which the speeches are the abstract summations.”

Both together are needed to make her vision of the ideal real.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

Was ‘Don Chiyuto’ murdered?

“Kidnapping causes a long-term rupture in the psyche of those kidnapped and of those who wait for their return. It doesn’t end.”

—Uzodinma Iweala

By Alex P. Vidal

IS he still alive or was silenced permanently by some irate investors?

It’s been a week since double-your-money investment executive Patrocenio Calvez Chiyuto Jr., popularly known as “Don Chiyuto” and the chief executive officer (CEO) of a double-your-money investment scheme based in Roxas City, Capiz, went missing after he was allegedly kidnapped by armed men at around 5:30 p.m. at his residence in Barangay Talon Dos, BF Resort Village, Las Piñas City, Metro Manila.

Although some of his alleged abductors, including some cops, have been arrested days after his alleged kidnapping on March 16, his whereabouts haven’t been known as of this writing.

The alleged kidnapping and the reported capture of some suspects, however, left so many questions than answers.

A CCTV reportedly captured Chiyuto’s “abduction” where he was heard crying for help while being forcibly brought inside a van waiting outside his house.

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His relatives, meanwhile,  have offered a reward of P200,000 for those who could provide tips for his whereabouts, or whether he is still alive.

There were no reports of ransom being asked by his abductors.

Six persons, including a police officer, were arrested in Makati and Parañaque on March 18 for allegedly kidnapping the man accused of masterminding an investment scam.

Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar identified the lawman as S/MSgt. Felipe Woo, 46, who is assigned with the Regional Mobile Force Battalion of the National Capital Region Police Office.

The other suspects were Cyryl Malana, 38; Maverick Edrol Sapitanan, 24; Sapitanan’s mother, Marie Grace, 41; Celso Lozano, 50; and Chinese Gao Ya Quong, 30.

Based on an initial investigation, PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said it appears Chiyuto allegedly duped dozens of people in a fraudulent investment scheme.

There were speculations some of those who felt double-crossed must’ve masterminded the alleged abduction “after realizing they could no longer recover their investment.”

There were those who accused Chiyuto of “staging” the kidnapping so he could escape from the wrath of his investors and avoid prosecution.

As days passed by without any lead as to his exact location, Chiyuto’s friends and relatives feared for the worst.

Did he fake the abduction? Did the kidnappers keep him in an undisclosed place? Or did they murder him as a retaliatory act for the failed investment scheme?

If some of the alleged kidnappers have already been arrested, how come the PNP has failed to compel them to pinpoint or produce Chiyuto’s body dead or alive?

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LET’S PREVENT THE SPREAD OF FLU by doing the following: 1. Staying away from people who are sick–and staying home when we are sick; 2. Covering our mouth and nose when we cough or sneeze; 3. Washing our hands frequently; 4. Don’t touch our eyes, nose, or mouth.

If we smoke, we know that this habit can be hard to kick. If we have been thinking of quitting or have tried before, let’s not give up. It is never too late. Let’s take advantage of the options available. People who make a plan and get support can succeed.

I’m hoping that my Microsoft 365 subscription will no longer give me a headache this week.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

I’m ‘luckier’ than those killed

“Toward no crimes have men shown themselves so cold- bloodedly cruel as in punishing differences of belief.”

—James Russell Lowell

By Alex P. Vidal

I STILL consider myself “luckier” compared to those members of Asian community murdered in Atlanta on March 17 in another wave of hate crime perpetrated against Asian Americans amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The massacre in Atlanta occurred five days after a lunatic man verbally abused me on F train bound for the Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York City at 11 am on March 12 for being “a Chinese.”

The bloody carnage in Atlanta happened almost a month after another Filipino-American, Noel Quintana, 61, was slashed across the face from cheek to cheek inside the L subway train while on his way to his job in Manhattan.

It’s not safe to be an Asian nowadays while there is still a pandemic. We still need to be extra careful in public and shouldn’t lower our guards down.

Quintana, who had been in a confrontation with another man while the two were riding on the train, said the emotionally disturbed man was kicking his backpack and when he asked him to stop, the suspect attacked him and fled when the train stopped at First Avenue and 14th Street.

Unlike Quintana, I wasn’t harmed but was a little bit frightened visibly.

I didn’t react violently and, thank God, I managed to “escape” unscathed physically.

I realized maintaining a calm mind amid difficulties was one way of surviving an imminent danger inside a public transportation.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has finally beefed up its presence in Asian-American communities in the wake of an Atlanta shooting spree that targeted Asian massage parlors and left several dead.

Mayor Bill de Blasio labeled the attacks an act of “domestic terrorism” on March 17 and said the victims were murdered “simply because of their ethnicity.”

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“Beyond education and beyond speaking out, we also need to use the strength of the NYPD to protect our Asian-American communities,” de Blasio said.

“There is today a major deployment of NYPD counterterrorism forces in communities around the city.”

The suspect in the Atlanta shootings that killed eight people at Atlanta-area spas, Robert Aaron Long, has denied having a racial motive for the attacks and blamed an “addiction to sex.”

Long has been charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.

Cherokee County officials announced on March 17 afternoon that Long, 21, has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of assault in the shooting involving three women and two men at Young’s Asian Massage.

He has also been charged with murder in Atlanta, where four other women were killed in two separate attacks.

Police said the suspect has confessed to the crime and told officials about a “temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate.”

They said it is too early to determine if he’ll be charged with a hate crime.

Six women of Asian descent are among the dead, raising suspicions of a hate crime.

Long claimed race did not play a role in his decision to target the businesses, police said, relaying details from questioning the gunman.

Long is believed to have “frequented these places, and he may have been lashing out,” Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds said, after noting that the suspect indicated to investigators that he has a sexual addiction.

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The group Stop AAPI Hate said it has received nearly 3,800 reports of what it describes as hate incidents—including verbal harassment and physical assault—since the COVID-19 pandemic began last March.

In the aftermath of the Atlanta-area attacks, officials in cities such as New York and Seattle said they would boost law enforcement’s presence in Asian American communities.

On March 17, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta issued a statement saying that although details are still emerging, the broader context of racial tension in the U.S. cannot be ignored.

“While anti-Asian violence is woven throughout our nation’s history, the Trump administration’s relentless scapegoating of Asians for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has increased” those incidents, said the advocacy group, which is an affiliate of a national organization.

“We’re calling on our allies across communities of color to stand with us in grief and solidarity against racist violence in all its forms,” said Stephanie Cho, the Atlanta group’s executive director.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

Can we still have those quality legislators?

“Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.”

— George Bernard Shaw

By Alex P. Vidal

THE illustrious batch that produced some of the Philippines’ greatest statesmen and brilliant lawmakers like Alejandro D. Almendras, Gaudencio E. Antonino, Magnolia W. Antonino, Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. (Former President Noynoy’s father), Dominador R. Aytona, and the marvelous Jose W. Diokno was the Sixth Congress in 1966-1969 headed by Senate President Arturo M. Tolentino.

It was hailed by political scientists and historians to be “the best-ever Philippine Senate.”

Sixth Congress also saw the rise and stardom of the “Stormy Petrel of the South”, Iloilo City’s maverick leader, Rodolfo T. Ganzon, idol of the Timawa (poor).

There were also Eva Estrada Kalaw, Maria Kalaw Katigbak, Wenceslao R. Lagumbay, Juan R. Liwag, Genaro F. Magsaysay, Manuel P. Manahan Raul S. Manglapus, and Camilo Osias.

Cebu’s Sergio Osmeña, Jr. was a member of that illustrious batch, along with Emmanuel N. Pelaez, Leonardo P. Perez, Gil J. Puyat, Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Gerardo M. Roxas (Mar’s father), the eminent Jovito R. Salonga, human rights vanguard, the political behemoth Lorenzo M. Tañada, Lorenzo G. Teves, and Tecla San Andres Ziga.

Those were the star-studded members of the Senate when clowns and showbiz stuntmen and comedians couldn’t yet penetrate the elite cast of quality public servants, unlike today.

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The Senate Seventh Congress (1970-1973) led by Senate President Gil J. Puyat also made waves what with the presence of come-backing Ambrosio B. Padilla, team captain of the RP basketball team that placed third in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

The Olympics cage icon first ran and won as senator when he resigned as solicitor general under President Ramon Magsaysay in 1957.

But Martial Law cut short all the magnificent senators’ tenure in 1972.

President Ferdinand Marcos subsequently phased out the Legislature as the country’s new Constitution transformed the system of government from presidential to parliamentary.

When democracy was restored after EDSA Revolution in 1986, the Senate Eight Congress (1987-1992), led by Senate President Jovito Salonga, produced yet the country’s most dynamic and prolific leaders like Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Rene Saguisag, Edgardo Angara, Wigberto Tanada, Teopisto Guingona Jr., Joey Lina, Orlando Mercado, Heherson Alvarez, and the lone survivor from the opposition, former Martial Law architect Juan Ponce Enrile.

Former Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr., father of incumbent Iloilo Governor Arthur Jr., was the lone casualty from the President Cory Aquino-inspired administration senatorial ticket that nearly scored a sweep (Enrile bumped off Defensor for the 24th slot).

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It was in the Senate Ninth Congress (1992-1995) led by Senate President Neptali Gonzalez where movie comedian and action stars like Vicente Sotto III, Ramon Revilla Sr. and Freddie Webb started to make their present felt and rearranged the Senate’s hitherto prestigious reputation.

PBA playing-coach Robert Jaworski and putschist Gringo Honasan followed suit in the Senate 11th Congress (1998-2001) headed by Senate President Marcelo B. Fernan of Cebu.

To add insult, action stars Lito Lapid, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Jinggoy Estrada completed the Senate 13th Congress (2004-2007) led by Senate President Franklin Drilon.

Another putschist Antonio Trillanes IV made it in the Senate 14th Congress (2007-2010) led by Senate President Manuel Villar.

And finally in the Senate 16th Congress (2013-2016) headed by Senate President Franklin Drilon, Ma. Lourdes “Nancy” Binay stole the limelight.

In the current Senate, now headed as President by Vicente Sotto III, the Filipinos’ worst nightmare occurred: we now have Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa, Manny Pacquiao, to name only a few misfits.

Tralala, one of the three aforementioned lackeys of President Rodrigo Duterte could be our next President in 2021.

When Pericles died in 429 BC, the Greeks mourned the loss of arguably the most prominent and influential statesman, orator and general of Athens during the Golden Age.

When Draco died in 600 BC, the Greeks wept the departure of Ancient Greece’s first recorded legislator who laid down Greece’s first constitution known as Draconion Constitution.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

Presidency is for anybody

“The presidency has made every man who occupied it, no matter how small, bigger than he was; and no matter how big, not big enough for its demands.”

—Lyndon B. Johnson

By Alex P. Vidal

THE reason why anybody can be president in the Philippines is because of the unique provision in the Philippine Constitution, which the framers had been trying to preserve and protect; and they have been opposing heavily any attempt to amend the entire charter.

If those pushing for amendments of the Constitution will succeed and change the qualifications for those seeking the higher offices, the likes of Senators Bong Go, Manny Pacquiao, Lito Lapid, Ronald dela Rosa, Pokwang, Dionisia Pacquiao, Vice Ganda, Kris Aquino, Allan K, Inday Garutay and other clowns will have no more chance to run for president.

As long as the Constitution allows them to run, they have all the right and “qualifications” to launch their candidacy in the 2021 presidential race.

For instance, Article VII, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution provides that no person may be elected President unless he or she is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least 40 years of age on the day of the election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding such election.

Very simple. No heavy requirements. No need for the candidate to come from a dominant political dynasty. He doesn’t need to be a diplomat or a bar topnotcher

A higher educational attainment isn’t necessary; a long background in public service isn’t needed.

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The qualifications provided by the Constitution for President and Vice President are pro-poor, pro-masa, pro-people.

The playing field is level; the game is fair and square and there’s no discrimination whatsoever except, perhaps, a candidate’s financial capacity or the wherewithal.

Anybody who can mount a nationwide campaign and can be adopted by a major political party can be qualified.

Natural-born Filipinos are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship.

Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines at the time of their birth and those born before 17 January 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority are considered natural-born Filipinos.

The President of the Philippines is both head of state and head of government of the republic.

The President of the Philippines is leader of the executive branch and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

If President Rodrigo Duterte wants his daughter, Sara, the mayor of Davao City, or his longtime sidekick, Senator Go, to be the next president, he can always endorse any of the two and he will not violate any law.

There’s no barrier for any incumbent President to endorse a lackey or anybody, however mediocre is his political background, who doesn’t belong in the “establishment.”

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When one runs for president, it is assumed he or she is running for the worst job in the country.

If elected he or she must deal with a cascade of domestic and international headaches.

A President should never eat humble pie for breakfast, suggested the Science of People.

“A healthy dose of ego every morning would do a wannabe President good. And I don’t mean ego negatively. Ego is different than arrogance.

No matter how smart you are, how many good ideas you have or how many people you help, as President someone will always be upset with you,” according to Science of People.

“Presidents are the constant target of criticism, and they are constantly beat up by the press, enemies—and even allies. Ego is the only way to survive it.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

Angry man inside a Brooklyn-bound subway train yells at me and calls me ‘a Chinese’ amid upsurge of violence against Asian Americans

It happened at about 11 a.m. on March 12, 2021

Click here: https://fb.watch/4dpsJqm1Id/

 

Pinoys who hate Biden but love the stimulus check

“The only thing worse than a liar is a liar that’s also a hypocrite!”

—Tennessee Williams

By Alex P. Vidal

A SMALL group of Filipino-Americans in our community in Queens, NYC still can’t accept that Joseph Biden is the new U.S. President.

And they can’t hide their hypocrisy when it comes to salivating for their share of the $1,400 stimulus check per American as contained in the $1.9 trillion stimulus package Mr. Biden signed into law on March 11 afternoon.

“Nadeposit na ba ang stimulus natin? Paki verify nga kung available na (Kindly verify if our stimulus money has already been deposited and if it’s already available),” Grego, 65, a hard-line Republican supporter and loyalist of former President Donald Trump, requested his pal, Deo, 63, in their recent tete-a-tete.

A day earlier (March 12), their fellow Republican supporter, Roman, 70, informed them in jest: “Hindi pala napirmahan ni Biden ang stimulus (Biden failed to sign the stimulus).”

“Bakit? Ano daw ang nangyari? (Why? What happened?)” asked Deo.

“Eh paano fake pala na Biden ang nasa White House. Ang nakikita natin sa TV ay isang impostor na Biden. Si Trump ang pipirma sa stimulus bill para maging law  (The Biden who is in the White House is a fake one. What we see in the television is an impostor. It will be Trump who will sign the stimulus bill into a law),” added Roman.

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Grego had criticized the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package for being “too much” and “a burden to us the taxpayers.”

“Puro pasikat ang ginagawa ni Biden at ang mga walang hiya na mga democrats na yan (What Biden and the shameless democrats have been doing is to grandstand),” raged Grego, who initially showed signs he wasn’t interested to get his share of the $1,400 direct payment stimulus check for individuals who earn $75,000 or below, a head of household earning $112,500 or less, and married couples making $150,000 or below.

Those with kids will also get up to $1,400 for each child.

Grego changed his mind when he asked Deo to check if the stimulus money was already deposited.

“Hindi ako interesado sa stimulus na yan. Kawawa ang mga bata sa next generation. Sila ang magbabayad ng utang na yan (I am not interested in that stimulus money. It will be the children in the next generation who will pay for that debt),” Mang Pepeng, 85, a former gun runner in Nueva Ecija before the Martial Law, vowed.

“Kapag nakuha na natin ang pera balik tayo ulit dito ha (If we are able get the money, let’s meet again here),” Deo suggested.

Roman retorted: “Baka sa Martes darating na yan (It might be available on Tuesday).”

With his signature, President Biden checked off his first priority in the White House.

He also gave a prime-time address March 11 describing how the country will proceed in fighting the virus a year after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic.

The plan sent direct payments of up to $1,400 to most Americans. Direct deposits will start hitting Americans’ bank accounts as soon as this weekend, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced March 11.

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The bill extended a $300 per week unemployment insurance boost until Sept. 6 and expanded the child tax credit for a year.

It  will also put nearly $20 billion into Covid-19 vaccinations, $25 billion into rental and utility assistance, and $350 billion into state, local and tribal relief.

“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Mr. Biden said before signing the legislation. “And giving people in this nation, working people, middle-class folks, the people who built this country, a fighting chance.”

Democrats passed the bill in Congress without a Republican vote through the budget reconciliation process. The House approved the measure Wednesday.

Republicans called the proposal “unfit for the moment” as Covid-19 vaccinations pick up and more states move toward reopening their economies. The GOP criticized what it called “funding not needed to fight the pandemic.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)